Save Energy

Energy is one of the most fundamental parts of our universe. We use energy to do work. Energy lights our cities. Energy powers our vehicles, trains, planes and rockets. Energy warms our homes, cooks our food, plays our music, and gives us pictures on television. Energy powers machinery in factories and tractors on a farm. Energy from the sun gives us light during the day. It dries our clothes when they're hanging outside on a clothes line. It helps plants grow. Energy stored in plants is eaten by animals, giving them energy. And predator animals eat their prey, which gives the predator animal energy. Everything we do is connected to energy in one form or another. Energy is defined as: “the ability to do work.”When we eat, our bodies transform the energy stored in the food into energy to do work. When we run or walk, we "burn" food energy in our bodies. When we think or read or write, we are also doing work. Many times it's really hard work! Cars, planes, light bulbs, boats and machinery also transform energy into work.

We really can Change the World by changing just on light bulb. If each household changed one standard bulb for one compact fluorescent bulb, we could:
· Reduce energy use by up to 616 million kilowatt hours of electricity in one year.
· Save $74.7 million a year on household electricity bills.
· Reduce garbage by keeping up to a billion (yes, a billion) bulbs out of the trash. Each fluorescent bulb can last up to 10 times longer than an ordinary bulb, so think of all those bulbs that won't be thrown away.
· Keep 974 million pounds of carbon dioxide or CO2 out of the environment. CO2 is the most common gas that contributes to global warming. That's 450 pounds of CO2 saved from the atmosphere with each fluorescent bulb. Greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide, are produced by the power plants that light your home.
· If every household changed just one bulb, it would be about the same as:
* Removing 85,000 cars from the roads for one year.
* Filling 32.5 billion basketballs with CO2. Placed side by side, the basketballs would stretch for 4.6 million miles.

Quick Energy Saving Tips
· Set your thermostat comfortably
low in the winter and comfortably
high in the summer. Install a
programmable thermostat that is
compatible with your heating and
cooling system.
· Use compact fluorescent light bulbs.
· Air dry dishes instead of using your
dishwasher’s drying cycle.
· Turn off your computer and monitor
when not in use.
· Plug home electronics, such as TVs
and DVD players, into power strips;
turn the power strips off when the
equipment is not in use (TVs and
DVDs in standby mode still use
several watts of power).
· Lower the thermostat on your
hot water heater to 120°F.
· Take short showers instead of baths.
· Wash only full loads of dishes and
clothes.
· Drive sensibly. Aggressive driving
(speeding, rapid acceleration and
braking) wastes gasoline.
· Look for the ENERGY STAR® label
on home appliances and products.
ENERGY STAR products meet strict
efficiency guidelines set by the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency and
the U.S. Department of Energy.